CATS and dogs are being abandoned more than ever in Mole Valley, according to the people who work to rescue them.

In recent examples it has taken days of care to calm an injured dog found in a field, and a B&Q worker had to take in two cats he found at the store.

Taxpayers’ money is being spent caring for abandoned dogs, re-homing them and attempting to return those genuinely lost to their owners. Some animals have even had to be put down.

Since April last year, Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) said it had recovered 90 dogs, returning 70 to their owners within 48 hours. A further four were claimed after the seven-day claim-back period and owners had to pay fines.

Of those not claimed, nine have been re-homed and some are at nearby kennels, including an unidentified lurcher found curled up in a field off Bailey Road in Westcott.

MVDC animal warden Joe Bailey went to rescue the dog, which has been named Cookie, after a member of the public called the RSPCA at the beginning of this month.

He added: “I initially thought she might be dead. She couldn't stand. I went to pick her up, she started screaming and became aggressive."

Cookie had a chest wound requiring stitches, and a broken leg.

She was very dehydrated and malnourished, but this, and the dog’s temperament and weight, changed after only a few days of care, Mr Bailey said.

“She’ll make a very sweet dog,” he added. "It's amazing the difference a bit of affection can make.

"It’s shown her that not all humans are horrible. I’d love to meet the previous owner.”

A springer spaniel aged around six months turned up in the Bookham area last week, and on the same day another malnourished lurcher was seen struggling to stand in Clayhill Road, Leigh.

He had multiple wounds and may not have survived another night in the cold, Mr Bailey believes.

He has been in the job for 25 years and said neglectful owners were a small minority, but added: “This is becoming more common.

“We’re getting unwell animals being abandoned because people can’t afford vet bills and we’re picking up the bill, which is council tax payers’ money.

“We've tried where possible to maintain a non-destruction policy, but in the last two to three years it’s become difficult.”

Owners struggling to look after their pet can contact Blue Cross or PDSA for help. The charities also have animals that need rehoming.

Among felines recently found abandoned were two ginger tomcats left in boxes at the entrance to B&Q in Leatherhead just before Christmas.

The member of staff who found them said: “My parents have cats so we took them in for a day or two.”

The moggies have since been taken in by charity Cats Protection, with whom Rosemary Cook is a voluntary welfare officer.

“We’re getting so many abandoned cats at the moment, I’ve never known anything like it,” she said.

“It’s really quite a crisis. I think the economic climate has a lot to do with it.

“People can’t afford to feed them or move to places where cats aren’t allowed.”

Anyone able to offer a cat a home should call Mrs Cook on 01737 350307.